Shimla: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on Saturday
flagged off a rally comprising cultural troupes from Indian
states and other south-east Asian nations to sensitise people
against female foeticide.

The rally "Beti Bachao Abhiyaan" was flagged off from the
historic Ridge Maidan here as participants from Sri Lanka,
Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indian states displayed placards
and shouted slogans, appealing people to save girl child,
during their march through different parts of the city.
Speaking on the occasion, Dhumal said Himachal Pradesh
government has launched several schemes, such as additional
funds to gram panchayats with the highest female population
and a two-day free stay at the state-run hotels for parents
travelling with their daughters, to encourage citizens to have
girl child.

The Chief Minister stressed on the need to sensitise
people in maintaining a high gender-ratio and hoped that the
rally would bring desired results.
The government playing a pro-active role to stop
gender-discrimination by strictly banning pre-natal
sex-determination and punishing the violators, he said.

Dhumal claimed that informants, who give tip-off about the
people behind the crime of pre-natal sex-determination, were
suitably awarded.